by A. Scott Peterson
Oceanview Publishing, $25.95, 271 pages
A. Scott Pearson, a surgeon and author, twists twenty-first century robotic surgery and sixteenth-century human anatomy into a suspenseful medical thriller that keeps the reader both intrigued and entertained. Public Anatomy is on display in Memphis as a serial killer, known as the Organist, who dissects his victims based on detailed historic anatomical drawings. The victims have a common link which Dr. Eli Branch searches to find before another victim and body part is dramatically displayed in public fashion. Eli, a charismatic pseudo-detective, is drawn back into the sphere of fellow surgeon Dr. Liza French as she is being investigated following the deaths of two patients. The first chapter depicts a vivid surgical drama and the story develops as the reader is drawn further into the mystery. How are the surgical deaths related to a serial killer’s methodical detail of human anatomy? Entertaining supportive characters, visceral medical scenes, engaging descriptive writing, and unsuspecting developments capture the reader’s attention up until the unexpected conclusion. I look forward to reading another medical mystery by this author.
Reviewed by Julie Finley